Apple is quietly loading up Apple Arcade with three very different — but equally interesting — games this April: DREDGE+, Unpacking+, and My Very Hungry Caterpillar+. All three hit the service on April 2 and, as usual with Arcade, they’re ad‑free and strip out in‑app purchases.
DREDGE+ is the headliner if you’re into moody indies. It’s a fishing adventure with a sinister edge: by day, you’re cruising a chain of islands, catching and selling fish, upgrading your boat and gear; by night, the fog rolls in, strange rocks appear out of nowhere, and things in the water get… Lovecraftian. The Arcade version is the “complete edition,” bundling in all DLC — The Pale Reach, The Iron Rig, Blackstone Key, plus a custom rod — so iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Vision Pro players get the whole story in one sub.
On the other side of the vibe spectrum, Unpacking+ is the ultimate chill game. You’re literally unpacking boxes after moves, placing books, mugs, plushies, consoles, and everything else into a new home, one room at a time. There are no timers or scores; the “puzzle” is figuring out where things feel right, while the life story of the unseen character slowly emerges from what they keep, what they toss, and where those items end up. It’s already an App Store Awards Cultural Impact winner, and on Arcade, it turns into a great couch or bedtime wind‑down game you can pick up for a few minutes at a time.
My Very Hungry Caterpillar+ goes after families and younger kids, turning Eric Carle’s iconic picture book into a fully interactive pet sim. You hatch your caterpillar from an egg, feed him, water plants, play with toys, and watch him grow day by day until he spins a cocoon and becomes a butterfly — then the cycle starts again. It’s designed as non‑competitive, text‑free play that nudges kids toward nurturing, exploration, and a bit of nature‑themed curiosity, wrapped in Carle’s distinctive collage art style.
Apple is pairing the new arrivals with some live‑service‑style updates to existing titles, too. Disney SpellStruck is getting fresh Adventure Mode maps based on Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, plus Darth Vader and Lando Calrissian as new playable characters starting March 19. Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop will celebrate the series’ 35th anniversary on April 9 with Puyo Puyo Garden, a new mode where you grow and battle your own custom Puyo creatures — a first for the long‑running franchise.
If you’re already in the ecosystem, Apple Arcade itself stays pretty straightforward: it’s $6.99 a month in the U.S., with a one‑month free trial, and you can get it bundled inside Apple One plans. One sub unlocks 200‑plus games for up to six people in a family group, and most of the “Arcade Originals” — including DREDGE+ and Unpacking+ — work across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and even Vision Pro, making these April additions easy to sample wherever you play.
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